tommas4: my back, that would be like 20 pounds, plus not-so-light tripod (I'm fan of stability ), that is the only way. But walking a dog or stroll thru a city like this is a little on the ridiculous side, isn't it? So I'm leaning towards a P&S and sell all my stuff. Nope, won't do...

Grenache: 50 f/1.4 for all of the reasons noted $300 (rebate for this and 30D avaialble, see Canon website P.S. If you have small, fast moving kids, consider the 24-70mm f/2.8 L. High quality zoom for rapid recomposition without moving. good flash...580EX is stellar but requires some learning to take...